A Mid-April Reading Update

It's Sunday and we're watching Bullitt. No point watching the Blue Jays game today. If they come back in the last 3 innings, we'll maybe watch Blue Jays at 30. Yes, I admit it, I'm a fair weather fan. 

It's mid-April and so far this month I've read 7 books, the majority of them were fairly short. Since my last reading update, I've completed 5 books. I'll provide my reviews of them, plus the other normal stuff. 

Just Finished

1. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian Vaughan (Chaps 7 - 12 / 2012).

"OK, I admit it, I love this graphic novel series. Saga, Volume 2 by Brian K. Vaughan, which contained Books 7 - 12, was every bit as enjoyable as Vol 1. The story is funny, sexy and full of action and the artwork is clear and bright and colorful. The story follows the continuing adventures of the star-crossed lovers, Marko and Alana and their child Hazel as they try to stay alive and avoid bounty hunters and Alana's race.

You see Marko and Alana are different species; different in that Marko has horns and Alana wings. But obviously they can have sex and children. In this series of stories, they face an even more dangerous enemy, Marko's parents. Marko and mom go into a ghost world to find Izabel, their ghostly baby-sitter. And Alana spends quality time with her father-in-law, a real homebody. But it's not all fun and games as the bounty hunters are on the way and bigger danger is about to be born.

There is so much going on and the story does jump back into back stories of the main characters that I won't get into it too much. Just know that it's entertaining, a page turner and filled with interesting characters. Volume 3 is on order (4.0 stars)"

2. Skull-Face by Robert E. Howard (1929).

"Many years ago, in a previous lifetime (ok, that's not true but it sounded appropriate), I enjoyed Robert E. Howard's Conan books. I still have the series sitting on my bookshelf. Anyway, a couple of years ago, I ordered another of his early books, Skull-Face, a novella originally published in 1946. 

The story reminded me of Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu fantasy thrillers; being that an ancient being, aka Skull-Face, threatens the world by rousing the ancient forces of Africa and Asia against the western world. The story focuses on an American WWI veteran, Stephen Costigan. Suffering from war injuries, both physical and mental, Stephen has succumbed to world of hashish, his mind slipping into a dream world. His money spent, he is 'cured' by the Master of the hashish den, a skull-like figure who he only sees in a cloud of smoke.

The cure Skull-face provides is instantaneous and Costigan feels a debt of gratitude to the mysterious individual. But of course, all is not as it seems. Skull-face wants Costigan for his secret aims; firstly to impersonate an English spy and later to kill an archeologist. At this point, Costigan's basic humanity begins to take over and he determines to foil Skull-face, even at the risk of his own life.

With the help of Gordon, an English agent and also of Zuleika, a beautiful woman, also under the thrall of Skull-face, but willing to assist Costigan, the story moves along quickly, as the forces of good battle the forces of 'evil'. Who is Skull-face? Well, read this story and you'll find out. You'll also find out who it all ends up. (Note. There are racist stereotypes in this story.) Still, an action-packed, drug fueled fantasy adventure. (3.0 stars)"

3. Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (Ray Carney #1 / 2021).

"Harlem Shuffle, the first of two Ray Carney stories by Colson Whitehead is my first attempt at this writer. Set in the '60s in Harlem the three stories within this novel feature furniture salesman Ray Carney, as he tries to build his local business and support his growing family.

Ray comes from a shady past. His father was a local gangster, a tough man. Ray has cleaned up his act but still finds himself being pulled into the criminal side of life; fencing goods for local criminals and even family, especially his cousin Freddy. There are three short stories in this novel. In the first Freddy involves Ray in the robbery of a hotel. In the second, Ray searches for a way to get revenge on a local banker who has taken Ray's 'donation' to get into a businessman's club and then been rejected. In the final, once again Freddy gets Ray involved in his activities.

It's a unique set of stories. Whitehead is an excellent story teller. He presents Harlem as a living breathing entity. The people are interesting, colorful. The incidents are developed slowly and caringly. I've never been to New York and definitely not during the period covered in his stories so it's neat to try to picture it. The racial tension between white New York and black New York is highlighted, two interconnected  but divided areas. 

Ray's successful business grows throughout the period. There are nice descriptions of his store, his family, his friends; Freddy and Pepper stand out. Nice little touches like his descriptions of the furniture lines he's selling and interested in. The activities he gets involved in on the more criminal side are quite different. There is a conflict between his past, his more criminal side and his successful, family-loving, successful businessman side. It's so well portrayed. Ray is a three-dimensional, nicely portrayed character. Whether you like him or not, he is sympathetically crafted. Each story is a slow build but well-rounded and closed out very nicely and satisfactorily. A setting and life outside my comfort zone but enjoyable and entertaining. (4.0 stars)"

4. Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright by Chris Riddell (Goth Girl #3 / 2015).

"The Goth Girl series by Chris Riddell is a favorite YA / children's series of mine. When I want a light, entertaining, superbly drawn story to make me feel good, this is one series I choose. Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright is the 3rd book in this series. I now have one book left to enjoy in this series. 😞😟😢

Christmas is coming. Ada Goth is waiting for the return from boarding school of her best friend, Emily Cabbage and her brother William Cabbage. Ada misses Emily very much and wishes she could go to school with her, but has mixed emotions. If Ada goes to school, her nanny, Lucy Borgia would have to leave, and she loves Lucy.

Many guests will arrive for Christmas as her father, Lord Goth, is hosting the Literary Dog Show. It will bring famous writers and their dogs to the Goth estate to take part in a dog show. As well, Emily and William are also bringing guests; the Vicarage sisters, Emily, Charlotte and Anne (ring a bell, perchance) and their brother Bramwell. Also crashing the party is Flushman, a fellow student of William and Bramwell.

Mysterious goings on also taking place at the estate; monkeys on the prowl, stealing books and bananas; strange howls at night, shoes chewed on, food disappearing.. All very exciting.

So lots of action for you to enjoy, lovely characters, wonderful artwork, an all-around fun, entertaining story. What will I do when I finish this series? Continue with Riddell's Ottoline books and start his The Edge Chronicles. Woo hoo! (3.5 stars)"

5. The Sword of Rhiannon by Leigh Brackett (1949).

"I've previously read two books by Leigh Brackett, a noir mystery, which I quite liked and a Sci-Fi adventure, which was ok. The Sword of Rhiannon is a fantasy adventure set on Mars. It seems to be a popular setting with Brackett. Like the previous one, The Nemesis from Terra, I thought this adventure to be much in the vein of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars books, even more so than my first attempt of an adventure on Mars. (Did I make sense there?

Matt Carse is an Earthman on Mars. He is persuaded to go with an acquaintance to go to an ancient ruin to find artifacts, an 'easy' money maker? When the two enter the cavern, Carse is betrayed and pushed into a dark sphere, and he comes out of it, years in Mars' past; when Mars still had seas and green space. He also arrives with an unexpected passenger... You'll find out.

Thus begins an action packed adventure, where Carse finds himself first a slave of one nation, forced to man the oars of a galley. He will eventually be perceived as a god, but let's leave it at that. It's an entertaining story, an interesting setting and lots of action. Relatively light and a good read. (3.0 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Heart of Red Iron by Phyllis Gotlieb (Dahlgren #2 / 1989). 

"In Heart of Red Iron, Dahlgren's son Sven - who had been genetically altered by the ergs to punish his father - returns to the planet Barrazan V. He is part of a colonizing mission funded by Sir Frederick Havergal, Havergal has a different agenda which Sven will uncover. With Sven are his wife Ardagh, a physician; his mechanical twin Mod Dahlgren, a survivor of the erg war; and two alien cultures, the Meshar and the Yefni, both suited for life in the climatic extremes of Barrazan V.

And there are the Crystallines lodged in a volcanic crater that will destroy them, frantically communicating with their only hope; a brain-damaged girl whose sole talent is her ability to hear them."

2. Golem100 by Alfred Bester (1980).

"In a mega-city of the future...

They were nice ladies, really. Just bored. And they never expected to succeed. But intoning ancient rituals to raise the devil, they unwittingly began a rampage of rape, torture and murder. For they concocted a new devil, Golem100. And the Golem continues to grow...

Tracking the monstrous path of depravity are three super talents: Gretchen Nunn, beautiful, black master of psychodynamics; Blaise Shima, her brilliant chemist lover; and the shrewd policeman Subadar Ind'dni. Their hunt takes them into real and subliminal worlds of dazzling intensity, through the heart of the collective unconscious and beyond...where they battle for their souls and for the survival of humanity.

But even these three super intelligences are up against their limits. For now the Golem has acquired a new identity. And the Golem continues to grow..."

3. Death at Dawn by Caro Peacock (Liberty Lane #1 / 2007).

"The year is 1837. Queen Victoria, barely eighteen, has just ascended to the throne of England, and a young woman named Liberty Lane has just had her first taste of true sorrow. Refusing to accept that her gentle, peace-loving father has been killed fighting a duel, she vows to see justice done. . . .

The trail she follows is a twisting and dangerous one, leading the spirited young Englishwoman into an intricate weave of conspiracy. Contacted by secret agents, she is asked to pose as a governess in order to infiltrate cold, rambling Mandeville Hall and spy on its master, Sir Herbert Mandeville, who is at the center of a treasonous plan.

Nothing at the hall is what it seems, and every turn reveals another deceit, another surprise, another peril, leaving Libby to wonder who to trust and embroiling her in a deadly affair that could destroy the young queen and place Libby herself in mortal peril. . . ."

New Books

(Shock of shocks! No new books since my last update! What the heck is going on here???)

Women Authors Whose Work I've Enjoyed - Baroness Emma Orczy

Baroness Orczy

Baroness Emma Orczy lived from 1865 - 1947. She was born in Hungary and died in England. She was an author and playwright who was most known for her books featuring Sir Percy Blakeney, aka The Scarlet Pimpernel. She was a prolific writer. I've managed to enjoy two of her books so far, with one more sitting on my book shelf and one more on order. I'll highlight those books I've read so far and also the one I currently own.

1. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1905).

"The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy, originally published in 1905, is an entertaining, exciting adventure. Set during the French Revolution, when the Revolutionaries are executing French noblemen and their families, the story is about the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel who with a band of intrepid followers works to spirit out as many of these people as possible to safety in England.

The French desire to find and destroy this Pimpernel. Is he a Frenchman or English noble? They send one of their representatives, the implacable Chauvelin, as their ambassador, to find out who is the Scarlet Pimpernel. He blackmails one of the most popular women in England, a French beauty, married to Englishman, Sir Andrew Blakeney, to assist in uncovering the Pimpernel's identity. He threatens to have her brother executed if she won't help him.

This begins a fast-paced, non-stop adventure, journeying from England to France as Lady Blakeney tries to save both her brother and the Pimpernel from the clutches of this evil Revolutionary. It's an easy read, a real page-turner. I think the title is somewhat misleading, as the focus is on another, but that is a small detail. The Scarlet Pimpernel follows the best traditions of the swashbuckling adventure, tension, action and a happy ending. (4 stars)"

2. The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel (#6 / 1922).

"It is Paris, 1794, and Robespierre's revolution is inflicting its reign of terror. The elusive Scarlet Pimpernel is still at large - so far. But the sinister agent Chauvelin has taken prisoner his darling Marguerite. Will she act as a decoy and draw the Scarlet Pimpernel to the enemy? And will our dashing hero evade capture and live to enjoy a day 'when tyranny was crushed and men dared to be men again'."

3. The Old Man in the Corner (Teahouse Detective #1 / 1908).

"The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness Emma Orczy was a little gem. I'd read her adventure, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and had enjoyed quite a bit. While I was reading it, my wife mentioned that she remembered a radio series she'd listened too many years ago, which was based on Orczy's book about The Old Man in the Corner. It sounded interesting and so I decided to see if I could find a copy; which I did at The Book Depository (one of their print on demand books).

Basically, the book is a collection of short story mysteries. They remind me somewhat of Isaac Asimov's books about the Black Widowers, in which a group of older men, meet regularly at their club and meet someone who explains their circumstances (normally involving a crime) and then without leaving their club they try to solve it (usually with final words from the waiter). The Old Man in the Corner features a similar situation. Newspaper reporter, Polly, meets regularly with The Old Man at a local café (an A.B.C shop as it's called) and the old man details a recent court case; a robbery, a murder etc. Polly basically listens while the old man tells her the story and then solves the case, a case that has continually befuddled the police and courts.

There are a variety of stories in the book and each is interesting as is the Old Man's solutions. I enjoyed each case and the Old Man's quirks (he is impulsive about tying a string in knots as he goes through each case). Once solved he basically disappears until the next meet. The stories are short and grab you right away and the solutions are also interesting. What I particularly enjoyed was the final case and Polly finally getting in the last word. It was a surprising ending that actually had me laughing out loud in amazement. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend highly. (4.5 stars)"

The complete listing of Baroness Orczy's works can be found at this link. Enjoy.

A Quick Reading Update

It's a quiet old house this morning. I had to drop Clyde off for a dental cleaning. He wasn't happy and I feel like a heel. We'll all be happy to get him back home this afternoon. Poor little fella.

So before I take Bonnie out for her pre-lunch walk, here is a quick update on the last couple of books I've read, the synopses of the next two on my list and the same for a couple of new books on my bookshelves.

Just Finished

1. The Tiger Among Us (also 13 West Street) by Leigh Brackett (1958).

"The Tiger Among Us by American author Leigh Brackett. From what I've read she was best known as the 'Queen of the Space Opera' but was also a script writer; The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, and she also wrote crime fiction, The Tiger Among Us being one such. It was also turned into a movie, 13 West Street.

Walter Sherris is a middle-aged accountant, a family man with two young children and a lovely wife. He is working late at his company one night finalizing financial statements and decides to take a break and go for a walk and to get a coffee down the road. While walking down a dark alley, he is accosted by 5 young men and viciously assaulted. He ends up with a broken leg and is in a coma for nine days. His wife indicates she has received a threatening letter from the attackers and leaves town with the children, heading to relatives in Boston.

When Walter wakes up he finds the police have little to nothing to go on. There have been attacks in recent days of alcoholic derelicts (the attack on Walter seems to have been a mistake, as the 'boys' thought he was such a derelict). So Walter begins his own investigation.

Thus begins a tense, thrilling story as Walter tries to find clues to give to the police, in the person of Detective Koleski, who is frustrated in his own investigation and trying to keep Walter out of the whole thing. It's a fascinating, dark noir thriller as Walter investigates the attack, tries to find motives for the attack and analyses his own actions. What is he looking for; revenge, justification, trying to get his own life back in order? It's a well-written story. The characters are well-drawn, even minor ones like Noddy, the bartender who assists Walter and the story moves along nicely and with increasing tension and excitement. It's also a very thoughtful story, the characters are three-dimensional and there is an attempt at insight for everyone's actions. I will continue to explore 

Brackett's writing as I have some of her Sci-Fi on my bookshelves now (4.5 stars)"

2. Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death by W.J. Burley (Superintendent Wycliffe #16).

"Wycliffe and The Cycle of Death is the 16th book in the Inspector Wycliffe mystery series by British author W.J. Burley and the 11th book I've read in this entertaining series.

Superintendent Charles Wycliffe is enjoying a weekend at home with his wife when he gets a call about a murder in Penzance; book store owner Mathew Glynn has been found murdered in his office. This sends Wycliffe and his CID team to the coastal town to begin his investigation. Like all of the other Wycliffe stories, I found it entertaining, a page turner and an interesting mystery. One murder begets another death as Wycliffe wanders about Penzance, looking at present friends and family members and also delves into the past history of the Glynn family, especially the 17 year old disappearance of Matthew's wife, Inez. 

It turns out that Inez was originally betrothed to Matthew's brother Alfred and may at one time even had a bit of a thing with Matthew's other brother Maurice. Quite an interesting family, eh? And what about sister Sara, who moved in with Matthew to help care for his children and household when Inez disappeared? There was ill feeling between all of the brothers; Matthew and Alfred because of Matthew's stealing away of Inez and Matthew and Maurice because Matthew wanted to build houses on the old family property where Maurice still lived and worked a commercial property.

Burley is is normal irascible self and his competent team, especially Crime Scene investigator Fox and his two DI's, Kersey and Lane, play minor but important roles in the ongoing investigation. I do like that it is a team effort even if Wycliffe plays the major role. The setting is lovely and the mystery is complex enough to satisfy you and it's peopled with interesting, three-dimensional characters. Even the ending is satisfying, and somewhat surprising. Always one of my favorite mystery series. (4 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. The Diamond Bikini by Charles Williams (1956).

"Two Chicago hoodlums and a beautiful nightclub singer on the run decide to hide out in the bayou country of the deep South, land of moonshine whiskey and easy loving. Then Miss Choo-Choo Caroline disappears wearing nothing but a very tiny G-string encrusted with diamonds, and the neighborhood erupts into a fevered search of the woods.

Only one thing is certain, and that is that Sagamore Noonan aims to make himself some big money from the whole scandalous business." 

2. Billy Boyle; A World War II Mystery by James R. Benn (Billy Boyle #1). I've had this on my shelf for a few years now and am looking forward to finally starting this series.

"What’s a twenty-two-year-old Irish American cop who’s never been out of Massachusetts before doing at Beardsley Hall, an English country house, having lunch with King Haakon of Norway? Billy Boyle himself wonders. Back home in Southie, he’d barely made detective when war was declared.

Unwilling to fight — and perhaps die — for England, he was relieved when his mother wangled a job for him on the staff of a general married to her distant cousin. But the general turns out to be Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose headquarters are in London, which is undergoing the Blitz. And Uncle Ike wants Billy to be his personal investigator.

Billy is dispatched to the seat of the Norwegian government in exile. Operation Jupiter, the impending invasion of Norway, is being planned, but it is feared that there is a German spy amongst the Norwegians.

Billy doubts his own abilities, with good reason. A theft and two murders test his investigative powers, but Billy proves to be a better detective than he or anyone else."

New Books

(I picked up a couple of books on the weekend when Jo and I went out for a drive to look at houses and also check out some of the local Little Free Libraries.)

1. The French Powder Mystery by Ellery Queen (Ellery Queen Detective #2). I've never read an Ellery Queen mystery before. Thought it might be time to check them out.

"French's department store was famous for the rare merchandise it offered its elite clientele. But no one there could be proud of its latest exclusive window display: the bloodstained corpse of the owner's wife. Ellery Queen and his father would soon discover a viper's nest of fear and hatred."

2. The Facts of Life and Death by Belinda Bauer (2014). I've read two of Bauer's mysteries before and enjoyed them very much.

"'Call your mother.'

'What do I say?'

'Say goodbye.'

This is how it begins. Lone women terrorized in a game where only one player knows the rules. And when those rules change, the new game is Murder.

Living with her parents in the dank beach community of Limeburn, ten-year-old Ruby Trick has her own fears. Bullies on the school bus, the forest crowding her house into the sea, and the threat of divorce.

Helping her Daddy to catch the killer might be the key to keeping him close.

As long as the killer doesn't catch her first..."

There you go. A few books for you to check out. 

Oh, Clyde has to have 4 teeth removed. Poor doggie. He won't be happy tonight. Think nice thoughts for him, ok? Thanks.